


Hela Hath no Fury

by NiennaNir



Series: Love and Other Nursery Tales [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Gen, Have you tried talking?, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-13 08:55:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29026074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NiennaNir/pseuds/NiennaNir
Summary: Odin warned about this. The danger, the fate of all Asgard. Strike before it's too late. Odin might not be the best strategist. Loki's not a lot better.
Relationships: Loki & Thor (Marvel)
Series: Love and Other Nursery Tales [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/113824
Comments: 7
Kudos: 54





	Hela Hath no Fury

**Author's Note:**

> While I enjoyed Thor: Ragnarök there were an awful lot of writing flaws. The MCU has an awful lot of writing flaws. Inevitably I diverge from canon. This universe diverges just before AoU so here's my take on how Ragnarök would have gone down.

“You’re going to love this,” Thor insisted, grinning over his shoulder as he propelled the figure in front of him through the doors of the coffee shop.

“I want you to know that I think this is a disaster in the making,” Loki declared, his shoulders hunched under Thor’s massive hands. “And I want no part in it.”

“She agreed to speak with us,” Thor said with his most positive smile. He waved amiably at the baristas who grinned, waiving back with excitement. “Double my usual order my friends!”

“She could kill us any time she wanted,” Loki protested as Thor shoved him into a booth in the corner.

“And she didn’t,” Thor pointed out. “If you wish to throw the first punch, then by all means.” He waved his hand at the doorway and Loki turned with narrowed eyes. Hela stood on the threshold, clad in a plain black gown that seemed to suck the light from around her. Her ebony hair fell in long thin strands, her coal black eyes boring into Thor with thinly veiled contempt.

“Hela, sister, come, treat with us,” Thor beckoned, nodding amiably as two of the baristas arrived at their table, plying it high with cups and pastries before hurriedly scurrying out of Hela’s path.

“You should have hit her with your hammer when you had the chance,” Loki hissed.

“I should have hit you with my hammer when I had the chance but I did not and that is why you’re still alive.” Thor replied with a smile that did not reach his eyes, sliding into the booth beside him as Hela occupied the bench across from them.

“What is it you wish to say to me, Son of Odin?” Hela declared with cold disdain.

“To begin? Father had a tendency to send me into a spiraling rage as well,” Thor replied.

“I won’t argue with that,” Loki huffed derisively.

Thor elbowed his brother sharply in the ribs so that Loki made a pained face. “His solution to most of his problems was to cover them up, or banish them, his last words to us were a warning about you, a charge to stop you at all costs.”

“And how will you do that?” Hela asked.

“I won’t,” Thor replied with an easy shrug, prying the lid from one of the coffee cups and taking a deep gulp.

“Excuse me?” Loki demanded, glaring at him.

“You should try the coffee here,” Thor added, sliding one of the cups across the table in front of Hela. “It’s excellent.”

“Let me out of this booth,” Loki demanded with a fierce scowl. “I am going out there to find some benighted little island and bestow upon it my benevolence and wash my hands of the both of you.” Thor placed a hand on his shoulder pressing him down into the bench until he scrunched down a full five inches.

“It’s a remarkable little world,” Thor observed, glancing out the window at the streets of New York. The day was bright and sunny, the first snap of Autumn chill in the air. “On first blush it seems so charming, almost pastoral in its simplicity, its quaint cities and tiny villages. Father banished me here, you know.”

“How lucky for you that the local customs so appealed to you,” Hela observed with disgust.

“I was quite lucky,” Thor agreed, nodding amiably. “Loki tried to kill me here, remember that? Good times!” he thumped his brother on the back but Loki only glared at him.

“Twice,” Thor added. “And that was good fortune as well, it allowed me to meet the greatest warriors of this world. An extraordinary group, the finest swords as well as minds this world had to offer. It’s quite amazing what even an unevolved species can accomplish.”

“Was that aimed at me,” Loki hissed at him.

“You see, if Father had not decided to cast me out of Asgard,” Thor continued, ignoring him. “I should not have met the Iron Man Anthony Stark, Midgard’s greatest scientist. Nor the brilliant Doctor Banner, and his fair love Doctor Ross. I would not have met Doctor Jane Foster.”

“Oh really,” Loki rolled his eyes.

“And, as it happens,” Thor went on, clapping Loki on the shoulder. “If you had not tried to kill all of us, why they might never have met one another.”

“And that is significant how?” Hela demanded, clearly starting to lose patience.

“Well then they would not have worked together to control the bifrost from here, allowing me to travel the realms, seeking news of the threats to this world, and as it so happens, I would not have chanced to encounter the Last Valkyrie in my travels.”

A cold stillness settled over the table like ice.

“Well, this is awkward,” Loki observed finally. 

“Are you threatening me?” Hela demanded, her eyes like slits of onyx.

“No, I’m informing you,” Thor replied, seriously. “You see the Valkyrie possess much wisdom, and she told me a prophecy, that of Surtur and Ragnarök and the fall of all Asgard.”

“I’m aware of it,” Hela replied icily. 

“You should try a muffin, they’re quite good,” Thor suggested, taking one from the plastic basket on the table. Hela gave him a cold, unmoving look in reply.

“Father killed Surtur millennia ago,” Loki said with a scowl. “Whatever Prophecy might have existed-” 

Loki bit back his own words as Thor set his elbow on the table, a simple keyring dangling from his finger. On it was a key that looked as if it belonged to a bank safety deposit box, a house key with a red ribbon tied thought it in a bow, a miniature version of Mjolnir that said ‘I -heart- NY’ and an iron crown, decked with a pair of curved horns.

“Is,” Loki’s breath caught as he leaned closer to it in awe, “Is that the Crown of Surtur?” Thor gave him the faintest smug smile, nodding.

“How did you get it so small?”

“Even Midgard is capable of great magics,” Thor replied. Loki reached out as if to touch but Thor snapped the keychain into his palm, spiriting it back into whatever pocket he’d hidden it with a magician’s sleight of hand.

“The Crown of Surtur does you no good without the Eternal Flame,” Hela observed. “Which is safely in Asgard’s vault.” 

Thor very slowly shook his head.

“What did you do, Brother?” Loki asked in horror.

“Only what I must,” Thor replied. “Ragnarök will come, all things come to their end. But if it shall come by my hand then it shall be in the defense of my people when no choice remains. I would not sacrifice a single life if I could help it, but nor will I cling to rocks and trees and condemn my people to oppression. I would destroy all Asgard before I turned my back on even the lowliest of her people.”

“Would you have me believe that you would destroy Asgard rather than hand her rule to me?” Hela demanded angrily.

“I have no wish to do so, I just don’t see why the three of us should allow father to pit us against one another simply to preserve choices that he should not have made in the first place,” Thor replied.

“What are you saying?” Hela’s eyes narrowed in a fierce scowl.

“I’m saying I don’t want to rule Asgard.”

“I do!” Loki declared. Thor jabbed him sharply in the ribs.

“And that’s exactly why you shouldn’t rule Asgard,” Thor answered sternly. “Hela’s the oldest, by rights the throne should fall to her.” Loki gave him a contemptuous side eye, reaching for the cup in front of him and taking a long swallow. He blinked, gaping at the cup in his hand like a fish.

“What is this?”

“Pumpkin spice latte,” Thor replied dismissively, turning back to Hela. Loki shrugged, taking another swallow.

“Are you proposing abdicating?” Hela asked disbelievingly.

“I hate you,” Loki hissed without heat. 

“No, of course not,” Thor replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. “The people would fly into a rage, they would either believe I had abandoned them or that you had corrupted or coerced me and they would rebel. You should try the donuts, I like the ones with sprinkles.”

“If you don’t plan to abdicate then why are we here?” Hela said, her patience wearing thin.

“I propose that we break with tradition,” Thor declared. “The three of us should rule together.”

Loki gave him a mocking look. “You can’t be serious. Are you actually proposing some sort of democracy?”

“Brother, you are no more or less dishonest than every single politician I have met on Midgard,” Thor insisted, “You shall fit right in. Truly you have missed your calling.”

“And what sort of arrangement do you suppose I would be agreeing to?” Hela asked with clear skepticism.

“The king's council shall continue to see to the daily affairs of state,” Thor replied. “But when a matter of importance comes up we three shall vote on the course of action.”

"And what if there are three available courses?” Hela asked shrewdly.

“Ah well, I am sure we can work it out.”

“You have a lot of faith in me,” Hela frowned, but the coldness of her demeanor had softened, if only slightly.

“I have no reason to doubt you,” Thor answered, chewing thoughtfully at a tater tot. “Should one of us betray the other then the wronged would be well within their rights to slaughter the offender and then would be rightwise king of Asgard.”

“And if one of you kills the other what’s to happen to me?” Loki asked scornfully. They stared back at him for a long silent moment. “Oh, I see, you believe I shall betray one of you first.”

“I’ll want your word that you shall not take your vengeance upon me should I be forced to dispatch your brother.” Hela stated flatly. Thor looked at Loki a moment then shrugged, nodding in agreement. Loki bared his teeth at him.

“I’ll want your word that none of our people shall be put to the sword nor threatened lest we  _ all _ agree that they have betrayed Asgard,” Thor said in exchange. Hela gave this due consideration before nodding firmly.

“Hello, am I in the room?” Loki quipped.

“Our father was a good man,” Thor said. Loki made a disgusted sound in the back of his throat and his brother gave him a chastising look. “It took me much time to realize that he was a poor father. But I believe that to be a path of greater toil and uncertainty than most are ever aware. His choices in that led to suffering, to strife, and ultimately to his passing. In my heart I believe that we can learn from his mistakes, that we may put aside the consequences of his choices and choose for ourselves. What say you?”

Hela let out a huff, but the aura of dark, looming dread that seemed to envelop her had become a softer, grayer thing. “I’ve half a mind to go along with this foolishness just so I might gain right to the throne without the bother of conflict,” She reached out for the coffee cup in front of her and took a sip. She went rigid, her eyes widening and she stared at the cup as if she had just encountered some wondrous magic.

“It’s called Caramel Macchiato,” Thor said, the corner of his mouth ticking up. “Try the cinnamon buns, they are truly a delicacy.”


End file.
